William isn’t just popular, he is the steely power behind the throne: NICHOLAS PYKE on how ‘Wills’ has grown from teenage pin-up to family man… to a Royal Enforcer to be reckoned with

The steeply rising popularity of Prince William is one of the most intriguing things to emerge from MailOnline’s exclusive royal poll released today.

A substantial 41 per cent of us now say it should have been the Prince of Wales who took over as King one year ago, rather than Charles a sharp rise from the 35 per cent who took that view six months ago.

Only 43 per cent are sticking with Charles, which means his lead on the question has plunged from 15 percentage points to just two.

Meanwhile, nearly two thirds of the public want Charles and Camilla to start handing over power and responsibility to William and Catherine.

Once thought of as something of an angry young man and an enthusiastic party-goer, William is known as a family man these days. He is pictured here in 2022 with George, Louis, Charlotte and their mother, Catherine

Prince William has learned to smile and laugh with members of the public – and our poll suggests it is appreciated. Here, he poses for a photo on a visit to Pret a Manger in Bournemouth just a few days ago

That’s not because there’s much sign of dissatisfaction with the King’s first year on the throne, . That’s not the point. 

Rather, we are seeing a huge vote of confidence for his son and heir.

Some are attempting to label Charles a  ‘caretaker king’, which is neither wholly accurate nor fair. There’s a great deal that he wants to achieve – and will achieve – as monarch in the coming years. This is his time. 

Yet with the King’s 75th birthday approaching this autumn, it is inevitable that some are starting to look to a future beyond Charles – a future with King William and Queen Catherine in charge.

Their developing profile is no accident. The Waleses have employed a skilled media strategy using, for example, an in-house videographer to broadcast web-friendly clips as they tour the country.

More to the point, the smiles caught by the camera are genuine. 

Once thought of as a diffident and angry young man, William has grown into a warm and approachable figure, whether that means cracking self-deprecating jokes with teenagers or accepting smackers from Gazza with good grace.

The affection between father and son as William paid homage was one of the most moving moments of the Coronation.

Today, we see plenty of  the family man – the responsible husband and father to three charming children.

We’ve seen William the action man, helped by artful pictures of yachting and abseiling – even if he (sometimes) gets beaten by sporty Kate in their impromptu head-to-head challenges.

But what our poll does not and cannot show is the influence that the Prince of Wales already wields behind the scenes.

Groomed from an early age in matters of statecraft by his father and late grandmother, apparently to the irritation of his younger brother, William has been a power in the monarchy for some time. 

William has become known as something of an action man in recent times. The trips he makes around the country are reaching a wide audience thanks to the video clips distributed by the Palace

The Prince of Wales on selfie duty in Bournemouth

‘Thank you William,’ Charles replied as his son and heir paid homage. It was one of the most moving moments in the Coronation 

William has the  unwavering support of Catherine, Princess of Wales. Even so, the burden will be considerable as time passes and they assume additional responsibilites

Today his voice is second only to that of his father, the King and he has most definitely made himself heard.

William has taken a notably stern line when it comes to dealing with his disgraced uncle Andrew and wayward Harry, for example.

So to William the hunk and family man, we can add William the Enforcer – and William the King in Waiting.

As things stand, there is little doubt that, he will soon replace Andrew at Royal Lodge, the Queen Mother’s Georgian mansion in Windsor Great Park, and so acquire a family home to match his status.

Of course, William has had advantages when compared with his younger brother, not least a clear place in the scheme of things.

He is also hugely wealthy in his own right thanks to the £20 million or so he receives annually from the Duchy of Cornwall.

Laughing and joking in private, William has taken a stern line in family matters behind the scenes. He has been dismayed by his uncle Andrew and brother Harry – and has made his opinions known

William has the support of a wife who seems devoted to ensuring that his life runs on rails. There are few distractions. And what distractions there may be, he seems to swat aside.

There is little doubt that, as William takes on more duties, he will be ably helped by Catherine and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Edward and Sophie.

It will be a heavy burden, even so.

It is an irony, and perhaps a sadness, that the person William really needs by his side to share the load is the younger brother who once enjoyed stratospheric poll ratings of his own but now lives in California.

This this could have been Harry’s time, too.

• Deltapoll interviewed 2,009 British adults online between 1st to 4th September 2023. The data have been weighted to be representative of the British adult population as a whole.